Coal mining machine



`Julyv 14, 1931.

D. T. FISHER COAL MINNG MCIIINEv Original Filed Dec 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l NKUTNESS'.

July 14, 1931. D. T. FISHER v COAL MINING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 26, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 vmvNes's 1 July 14,- 1931. l D. T. FISHER l 1,814,439

coAL MINING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 26, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WIT/Issa: v @fi/1MM- 36 m/,MQM uw Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED gSTATES PATENT OFFICE DUDLEYT. FISHER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO 'IHIE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, .A CORPORATION 0F OHIO COAL MINING MACHINE Application'ledvlecember 2G, 1923, Serial N'o. 682,735. Renewed December 2, 1930.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in coal mining machines of the class provided with'elongated horizontally projecting cutting mechanism adapted to be thrust longitudinally into the coal and to be moved laterally to forma kerf across' the mine wall to facilitate breaking the coal out of the vein.

The especial object of this invention is to 1o provide a machine of the class described with ground engaging supporting, propelling,'and guiding devices whereby the machine may be moved bodily over the mine floor either to position the cutting mechanism relative to the coal face, or to cause its engagement with the coal to cut it. l

A further object is to provide in a ground supported universally movable machine of the class described, means to adjust the cutting mechanism either vertically or angularly relative to the supporting frame.

A further object is to provide in a machine such as above described, means to laterally move the cutting mechanism relative to the supporting frame to cause its engagement with the coal to cut it.

rIhe means whereby I attain these,rand other objects, will be fully set forth inthe following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention, certain parts being broken away to reveal otherV parts.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the supporting carriage, .the cutting mechanism being removed to reveal the parts beneath. Fig. 3 isc-a plan View of the cutting mechanism removed fromthe supporting carriage. l Fig. 4L is a view of the underside of the devices illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5x is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line V--V of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view' taken along the line VIK-VI of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is. a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 4.

Figs. 8 to 15 inclusive are diagrams illustrating some of the methods of operation of the machines.

Like numerals refer to similar parts in mechanism adapted to be brought into engagement with the mine wall to cut a kerf therein either by bodily movement of the carriage, or by movement of the cutting element relativev thereto.

In the drawings the numeral 1 refers to the main frame ofthe carriage, and the numeral 2 to journal boxes attached to said frame in which are journaled, on each side of the carriage, short transverse axles 3 and 4;. To these axles are attached sprocket wheels 5 and 6 around which pass endless chains 7 and 8 provided with ground engaging elements 9 adapted to Contact with the floor of themine. lTo each of the axles 3 is fixed a worm gear 10 engaged by a worm 11 supported in suitable bearings of the gear housing 12, and directly connected with the motors 13 and 14 by the actuation of Awhich the chains 7 and 8 may be causedk to travel over the mine floorto propel the carriage therealong. The motors 13 and 14 maybe of any preferred type suitable to the `conditions under which the machine is operated.` For purposes of illustration I have shown electric motors connected by suitablel conductors 15 and'l through controllers 17 and 18 with a suitable source of electric supply. The 'controllers 17 and 18 arev of the double direction type whereinr movement of the operating handle to one side of its neutral position caused the armature of the motor vto revolve in one direction, and movement of said handle in the other direction causes a reversal of said rotation, the speed of rotation being controlled by the degree of movementvof said operating handle. By the manipulation of these controllers the two chains 7 and 8 maybe caused to travel 'in-unison or at different speeds, in the same direction, may `be vcaused to travel in opposite directions, or one or the other of said chains may be held stationary, thereby controlling the direction of travel of the carriage. Electric current for the actuation of the machine is derived from a convenient source of electric supply through the flexible conductor cable 19 which is arranged to be wound upon the cable reel 20 supported in suitable bearings uponthe carriage and actuated'by an electric motor 21 to automatically wind the cable 19 or to permit its unwinding under controlled frictional resistance, as the carriage travelstowards or from the point of attachment of the cable 19 with the source of current supply. As these devices are well understood by men skilled in the art, and as they form no part in the present invention, further description isnot thought to be required at this time.

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Projecting upwardly from the frame 1 of the carriage are three brackets 22 in each of which is journaled `a vertically extending screw shaft 23 which is squared at its upper end v.to fit a suitable wrench by which said screw shaft may be rotated.` Each screw 23 engages a threaded aperture in an arm 24 which projects from the supporting ring 25 upon which the cutting mechanism is supported in the manner which will presently appear. By the rotation of the screws 23 the supporting ring may be raised or lowered to vertically adjust the cutting mechanism to select the. elevation at which the coal will be cut. Mounted upon the outer face of the ring 25 are a plurality of antifriction rollers 26 upon which rests a circular plate 27 which constitutes the main frame of the cutting mechanism. Similar antifriction rollers 28 attached to the lower face of the plate 27 engage the inner face of the ring 25 to prevent its lateral displacement. Formed at spaced intervals around the edge ofthe plate 27 are notches 29 adapted to be engaged by aA bolt 3() which is slidable in a bracket 31 attached to the ring 25, whereby the main frame 27 may be locked in any preferred position of angular;adjustment.

`Rigidly secured to, andprojecting radially from the main frame 27 is an arm 32 iny the edges of which are formed guideways wherein travels a cutter chain 33 having renewable cutter bits 34 adapted, when the arm is presented edgewise to the coal, to cut a vkerf therein. The chain 33. passes around a sprocket wheel 35 which is securedto the upper end of a .vertical shaftk 36 journaled in a suitable bearing 37 formed in the main frame 27. To the lowerr end of the shaft Y36 is secured a bevel gear 38 which engages a pinion 39 attached to the armature sliaft 40 ofan electric motor 41. The motor 41 receives its actuating current, by means of a suitable flexible cable 42, through a controller 43 attached to the main frame of the carriage, and by its `actuation drives the cutter chain 33 to cut the coal. -Mounted upon a vertical shaft 44 journaled in a suitable bearing 45 of the main frame 27, isa winding drum 46 which may be operatively connected to the shaft 44 by means of a multiple disc friction clutch disposed within the drum and controlled by a hand wheel 47. As such clutches are well understood in the art, and as they form.no part in the present invention, further descriptionislnot thought to be required at this time. A worm wheel 48 fixed to the lower end of the shaft 44 is enga-ged by a worm 49 formed integral with ahorizontal shaft 50. Fixed to the shaft 50 is a rachet wheel 51 adapted to be en gaged by a'pawl 52 mounted upon a rocker arm 53`pivoted uponthe shaft 50. The rocker arm 53 is connected by the eccentric rod 54 with an eccentric 55 .fixed to the bevel gear Vwheel 38'in such manner that the revolution of said bevel gear causes a step by step rotation of the shaft 50 and-the consequent revolution of the windingfdrum 46. Attached to the drum `46'is a rope 56 the free end of whiclris fitted withan eye 57 adapted to enga-ge one or other ofy the.lugs 58 vformed on the bracket 31, and guide sheaves 59 mounted upon thefmain frame 27 guide-the rope 56 in such manner that when saidrope is tensioned by rotation-of the drum 46 the main frame 27, and the devices mountedthereon, will revolve about the central axisof the ring 25. A shield 60 mounted concentrically with the ratchet wheel 5l and operatively :attached to a handle 61 is adapted to engage the pawl 52 to hold it out of engagement .with the teeth of the. ratchet Wheel,.and by the adjustment of this shield .around the ratchetwheel, the engagement of the pawl 52 with the teeth of theratchet. may be so controlled as to regulate the speed at which the rope 56 will be wound upon the drum.

There are many Ways in .which myimproved mining machine may beadvantageouslyoperated to.v form kerfs inthe: body of the vein preparatory. to dislodging the coal.

In Fig. v8 of the .drawings I have diagrammaticallyillustrated a methodof operating my improved mining machine upon what is known .in the mining art as the longwall system. As here illustrated the machine is positionedclosely adjacent a relatively long coal face with its longitudinal line extending parallelthereto. After adjusting the feed rope 56 upon the guide sheaves 59 and the'lugs 58 the cutter chain 33 may be actuated .andthe hand wheel 47 manipulated to'cause the 'rope v56 to be wound upon ythe drum '46, thereby swinging the cutter arm '32. againsty the coal to cut an arcuate kerf therein. Alfter the cutter arm 32 has penetrated to a sufiicient depth into the coal, it may be locked against further rotation, and the'tractor motors 13 and 14 may be actuated to propel the machine along the coal face to feed the `cutting mechanism to cut a kerf therein. If desired the cutter arm 32 may be turned to an angle somewhat in advance of a ri-ght angle and thereby overcome the tendency of the cutting mechanism to crowd the machine away from the coal face.

In Fig. 9 I have diagrammatically illusJ trated a method of cutting an arc wall. As here shown the cutter arm 32 is locked in forward extension along the longitudinal center line of the machine. The machine is then positioned at the center of the room closely adjacent the coal face with the cutter arm 32 extending towards one of the rib walls of the working. For purposes of ilJ lustration I have shown, by dotted lines in Fig. 9, the cutter` arm extending towards the right hand rib. After starting the cutter chain 83 the motor 13 will be actuated to drive the tractor chain 7 forwardly, and the motor 14: will be actuatedto drive the tractor chain 8 rearwardly thereby causing the machine to turn in an anticlockwise direction about an axis at the center of its traction base to cause the cutter arm to cut a semicircular kerf in the body of the coal.

Then the working place is too narrow to permit the machine to describe a complete semicircle, as when cutting in entries, breakthroughs, and similar narrow places, the machine will be positioned on the central line of the working with the cutter arm 22 turned to such an angle that its inner end will reach the line of the right hand rib, as illustrated in Fig. 10. The tractor chains 7 and 8 will then be actuated to drive the machine forward parallel to the direction of the working, and thereby thrust the cutter arm longitudinally into the coal to form the sumping or entering cut. By means of the feed rope 56 and its winding drum 16 the cutter arm will then be swung across the front of the machine until its inner end reaches the line of the left hand rib, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The tractor chains 7 and 8 will then be again actuated to bodily move the machine rearwardly along lines parallel to the direction of the working to finish the cut as illustrated in Fig. 12.

Another method of cutting a semicircular kerf is illustrated in Figs. 13, 14: and 15 wherein the machine is first positioned on the center line of the working with the cutter arm extending towards the right hand rib. By the manipulation of the feed rope 56 and winding drum 16 the main frame 27 will be rotated about its axis to swing the cutter arm 32 in an anticlockwise direction to form a lrerf across in front of the machine.

Numerous other methods of operation will occur to the skilled machine runner, those above described being presented merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a mining machine, the combination with a movable base, of self-contained traction and guiding means therefor, a cutter bar projecting from the base in pivotal relation thereto, motor driven means to swing the bar about its pivot point in an arc across the front of the base from a projecting position at one side thereof to a projecting position at the other side thereof, the base remaining stationary, means for locking the bar in fixed position relative to the base, and means for manipulating the tion at the other side thereof, the base re.

maining stationary, the bar in its movement reacting against the base, the base having inherent stability against such reactive effort, means for locking' the bar in fixed position relative to the base, and means for manipulating the machine as a whole through the intermediary of said traction and guiding means to swing the bar thus locked about a shiftable pivot point through an arc similar to that above mentioned.

3. In a mining machine, the combination with a movable base, of an elongated kerf cutter mounted for operative swinging` movement relative to the base and adapted to form, in such movement and with the base remaining stationary, a horizontal lzerf in fro-nt of the base in a mine face perpendicular to a normal rectilinear line of advance of said base, said kerf to extend, if desired, between points substantially outwardly spaced from the lateral bounds of the base, means reacting against the base for causing such swinging movement, means for ixing the relative position of the kerf cutter to the base, and self-contained tractio-n and guiding means on said base for imparting directed rectilinear or curvilinear movements thereto with the kerf cutter thus fixed to cause the latter to develop retilinear or curvilinear cuts.

4. In a mining machine, the combination with a movable base, of an elongated kerf cutter mounted for operative swinging movement relative to the base and adapted to form, in such movement and with the base remaining stationary, a horizontal kerf in front of the base in a mine face perpendicular to a normal rectilinear line of advance of said base, said kerf to extend, if desired, between points substantially outwardly spaced'from the lateral boundsof the base, means reacting against the base for causing suoli swinging movement, said base having inherent stability against such'reactive elfort, means for ixing the relative position of the kerf cutter to the base, and selfcontained traction and guiding means on said base for imparting directed rectilinear or curvilinear movements theretol with the kerf cutter thus fixed to cause the latter to develop rectilinear or curvilinear cut-s.

5. In a mining machine, the combination with a movable base, of an elongated kerf cutter mounted for operative swinging movement relative to the base and adapted to form, in such movements and With the base remaining stationary, a horizontal kerl in front of the base in a mine face perpendicular to a normal rectilinear line of advance of said base7 said kerf to extend, if desired, between points substantially outwardly spaced from the lateral bounds ofV the base, means reacting against the base for causing such swinging movement, motor driven rotary supporting means for the base, and means for controlling said supporting means whereby directed rectilinear or curvilinear movements may berimparted to the base with the kerf cutter thus liXed to cause the latter to develop rectilinear or curvilinear cuts, said control means including means toprevent rotation of said supporting means when the motor drive is inoperative.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DUDLEY T. FISHER. 

